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British Bookmakers Set to Make Record Contribution for Rights to Show Horse Racing
British bookmakers are on track to make a record contribution to horse racing next year – with the bill for media rights forecast to increase by nearly £30m.
The Betting and Gaming Council’s five biggest members for horse race betting, Entain, Flutter, bet365, 888/William Hill and Betfred, expect to see a record cost increase to broadcast races.
In 2022, BGC members paid £270.1m for the rights to live stream races for customers and show them in bookmakers.
But that cost is forecast to rise to £285.3m this year, an increase of 5.6%, with members estimating a further increase to £315.2m in 2024, a further bump of 10.5%.
The combined increase for media rights costs is now expected to rise by 16.7% between 2022 and 2024.
The figures are based on data supplied by the Betting and Gaming Council’s five biggest members for horse race betting, then adjusted to include smaller operators, who must also pay for media rights.
Michael Dugher, CEO of Betting and Gaming Council, said: “BGC members are already making a record contribution to horse racing and these figures show that is only going to increase.
“This comes despite a reduction in betting turnover on racing in the last five years and a worrying decline in participation in horse race betting overall.
“Horse racing remains a hugely important, world-leading sport, enjoyed by millions of fans and like the betting industry it continues to support large numbers of jobs.
“I know racing is trying to modernise and reach out to new fans, while also trying to bounce back from the Covid pandemic and deal with some difficult economic headwinds, plus deal with the hit on its funding caused by the Government. The betting industry is dealing with many of the same pressures on our revenues and costs.
“The BGC and our members remain fully committed to working together with the leadership of the sport, including the BHA and others, to ensure a better future for racing. But the fact that we are making a record and growing contribution to the sport cannot be ignored.”
The forecast costs come after the BGC announced their members directly contributed £384m to British horse racing last year in levy, media rights and sponsorship deals.
These figures showed an increase on previous estimates for the regulated sector’s contribution, which had placed it at around £350m a year.
In addition, bookmakers spent £125m on marketing to promote racing and betting through advertisements and partnerships, which helps secure vital terrestrial coverage of the sport and raise revenue for print newspaper titles.
As well as the increased costs for media rights, levy payments are projected to be £99m in 2022/2023, according to the Horserace Betting Levy Board.
This record investment also enabled horse racing to use some of these revenues to deliver record prize money of £179.3m in 2022.
Horse racing is the second biggest sport in the UK, second only to football, with more than five million people attending around 1400 fixtures annually across 59 racecourses.
However, its popularity is in decline. In 2007, 17% of the population participated in horse race betting in the previous year, but that fell to 10% in 2018.
Meanwhile football overtook horse racing betting around the same time between 2017/2018.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has committed to reviewing the Horseracing Levy by next year.
The Horseracing Levy, which is administered by the Horserace Betting Levy Board, goes towards improving the sport, breeding and boosting veterinary care.
Betting operators are working closely with the British Horseracing Authority and racing stakeholders on much needed reforms to the fixture list and race programme which should increase commercial returns from the levy and media rights.
The regulated betting industry fully supports this once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernise horse racing so it can realise its full commercial potential.
The BGC is also working closely with the government on the proposed reforms from the White Paper to ensure those who enjoy betting can continue to do so without unnecessary intrusion, while introducing improved safeguards for the minority who struggle.
Betting shops currently support around 42,000 jobs, contribute £1bn a year in tax to the Treasury and another £60m in business rates to local councils.
The wider regulated betting and gaming industry contributes £7.1bn to the economy, generates £4.2bn in tax and supports 110,000 jobs.
In April DCMS unveiled the Government’s new White Paper on gambling reform, including a number of key measures the BGC had campaigned for.
Those included a new mandatory Ombudsman for the regulated sector, enhanced spending checks online and a new mandatory levy to fund research, education and treatment to tackle gambling related harm and problem gambling.
Each month in Great Britain around 22.5m adults have a bet and the most recent Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4% of the adult population are problem gamblers.
Meanwhile the unsafe, unregulated gambling black market online is growing in the UK, with the numbers betting on these sites doubling in recent years, and the amount staked in the billions.
Booming Games
Booming Games launches Inferno Fortune InstaStrike slot
Booming Games has launched Inferno Fortune InstaStrike, a new slot title built on a 3×3 grid with 10 paylines and a maximum win potential of 2,000x.
The game includes an InstaStrike mechanic where landing two or more InstaStrike symbols anywhere on the reels triggers an immediate payout between 2x and 2000x the bet. Booming Games also said paying symbols can reveal a Mini InstaStrike overlay symbol, with three unlocking a random prize worth between 2x and 2000x the original bet.
Additional features include a Gamble option on base game wins, offering a “double-or-nothing” or “quadruple-or-nothing” round. Three Scatter symbols trigger ten Free Spins, with no limit on re-triggers.
Craig Asling, Director of Games at Booming Games, said: “With innovative InstaStrike features and Free Spins, we’re confident that players will love the latest addition to our collection. With its familiar layout and fiery graphics, Inferno Fortune InstaStrike is perfect for any player seeking a high-stakes thrill. Step into the fire and feel the InstaStrike spark!”
The post Booming Games launches Inferno Fortune InstaStrike slot appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Betty Tűndik Co-Founder at HIPTHER
HIPTHER Appoints Elena Stepanyatova as Event Content & Production Manager
HIPTHER strengthens its growing international events portfolio with the appointment of an experienced leader in content strategy, production, and large-scale event execution.
HIPTHER is pleased to announce the appointment of Elena Stepanyatova as Event Content & Production Manager, joining the team during an exciting period of expansion across Europe and beyond.
With more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning executive management, sales development, business growth, and premium event organization, Elena brings a powerful combination of strategic vision and operational excellence to the HIPTHER ecosystem.
Throughout her career, Elena has successfully launched and scaled new ventures, managed teams of up to 60 professionals, negotiated with government institutions and VIP stakeholders, and overseen high-profile events for audiences of up to 2,500 attendees.
Most recently, as Partner & Executive Director of LLC “MAP,” she played a central role in building and managing an event management company from the ground up, leading recruitment, business development, event concept creation, and commercial strategy. She also directed international business tours for Russian-speaking entrepreneurs to destinations including the United States, South Korea, and Japan.
At HIPTHER, Elena’s responsibilities will include agenda development, speaker and moderator coordination, event content planning, production workflows, and enhancing the attendee experience across the company’s growing portfolio of conferences and summits.
Her first major assignment is already underway: helping shape and implement the agenda for HIPTHER BALTICS: Riga 2026, the next stop in HIPTHER’s expanding Baltics series.
Zoltán Tűndik, Co-Founder and Head of Business at HIPTHER, commented: “Elena joins us with exactly the kind of energy, experience, and execution mindset we value. Great events are built long before the doors open, and her ability to combine business acumen with production precision makes her a major addition to our team.”
Betty Tűndik, Co-Founder at HIPTHER, added: “Finding the right person for this role was not an easy decision. We spoke with several highly experienced professionals and went through a deep selection process, because this position requires much more than event knowledge alone. From our first conversations with Elena, and later when we met in Prague, it became clear that she understands not only events, content, and production, but also people.
Human understanding is incredibly important in our industry. Elena brings professionalism, intuition, structure, and a strong sense of psychology to the way she works. I am truly impressed by her experience and by the way she connects ideas, teams, speakers, and communities. We believe she is a perfect fit for HIPTHER, and we are excited to welcome her into our team.”
Elena Stepanyatova added:“When I first met Zoltán and Betty during the interview, I immediately thought that this was a place where I wanted to work — I liked it, and I liked them as people. When we met in Prague, I felt it was a true match. We share the same goals and values, not only in our work but also in life.
It is truly special when professional ambitions are fueled by team spirit. I am very happy to be a member of the HIPTHER team, and I believe I can bring something new and meaningful to it. Together, we will keep moving toward the stars and reaching the heights that inspire us.”
As HIPTHER continues to expand its footprint across gaming, fintech, technology, compliance, and innovation sectors, Elena’s appointment marks another important step in scaling world-class event delivery across multiple markets.
The post HIPTHER Appoints Elena Stepanyatova as Event Content & Production Manager appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
BAR 1
BETER joins forces with BAR 1 Betting
BETER, the award-winning provider of live streams, real-time data, and odds for fast-paced esports and sports, has partnered with BAR 1 Betting, the leading Irish sportsbook, further strengthening its roster of tier-one operator partners.
Under the terms of the agreement, Irish bettors now have access to BETER’s exclusive ESportsBattle content, with eFootball and eBasketball the first disciplines to be integrated into the BAR 1 platform.
Founded in 1995 as a family-run business operating from a brick-and-mortar shop in Dundalk, County Louth, BAR 1 Betting has since expanded its operations across Ireland, establishing a strong market presence. In 2018, the company launched its online platform, BAR1betting.com, offering a range of betting markets, odds, and promotions.
As the industry’s leading provider of fast-paced betting content, BETER delivers over 500,000 events annually through its ESportsBattle tournaments, covering eFootball, eBasketball, eHockey, and eTennis, while offering up to 50 markets, with an average operator margin of 7.5%+.
BETER’s trading team also powers its Esports Odds Feed, delivering market-leading odds with the highest uptime across more than 450 tournaments globally. The offering covers over 40,000 pre-match and live events annually.
Gal Ehrlich, CEO of BETER, said: “As the leading provider of live streams, live data, and odds for the betting industry, we’re delighted that BAR 1 Betting has chosen BETER to provide its bettors with premier eFootball and eBasketball offerings.”
“With BAR 1 being one of Ireland’s most respected and well-loved sportsbooks, this partnership allows us to bring our award-winning esports content to a wider audience across regulated markets. At the same time, we look forward to supporting BAR 1 Betting in further strengthening its position as a leader in odds, event coverage, and betting opportunities.”
Barney O’Hare, CEO of BAR 1 Betting, said: “From day one, BAR 1 Betting has been built on a customer-first philosophy. When our customers speak, we listen so when they asked for more esports content, we knew BETER was the ideal partner.
“With its reputation for innovation, extensive coverage, and reliable delivery, BETER stands out as a true leader in the esports space. By adding its eFootball and eBasketball content to our platform, we’re confident we can further enhance the online betting experience for our customers.”
The post BETER joins forces with BAR 1 Betting appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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